Evolution Online: My 10,000× Reward System Multiplies Everything

Kaelen paused and swiftly activated his [Sharp Senses] to see Black Rose standing behind him.

’I was too careless.’

He got too excited and forgot to use his [Sharp Senses] to scout the area first, because he believed the main team was on a break outside and there shouldn’t be any beasts alive on this path.

"I asked what you think you’re doing here?" Black Rose repeated. "Got lost?"

Kaelen turned around with a forced smile. "That’s right. I got lost. What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be on break?" He asked.

"I didn’t see you outside the ruin and was on my way to the mine to see if you were there, but then I saw you running deeper into the ruins."

"I got confused about which way I came from, since I was on a break as well, and wound up here." He replied calmly.

"Is that so?" Black Rose asked with a piercing gaze.

Kaelen didn’t flinch as he stared back at her for a moment, before he began walking down the path he came from. "I’ll return now."

He couldn’t cause any trouble with Black Rose now, because if she was here, the advance team might be returning soon. And though Kaelen wasn’t scared of them, it was better to play it safe and go with his initial plan.

"I’ll walk you there then." Black Rose said and began walking to his side.

"Huh? Why are you following?"

"So you don’t get lost again."

"I just told you I took the wrong path. I think I can make it back on my own now."

"I insist."

Kaelen stared at the woman for a moment. "You’re pretty stubborn, huh?" He said and shook his head as they walked the rest of the way in silence.

He didn’t mind her keeping her eye on him at all, because what the young guild leader didn’t notice was that as the makeshift lamps cast their dull glow on them, only one shadow was trailing behind them—behind her.

As they arrived at the mine’s entrance, Kaelen paused to turn around. Even without saying a word, it was obvious he was conveying to Black Rose that she’d done her job and was free to leave.

She spared him a glance, before walking past him and entering the mine, filled with the noise of metal clanking, while the visibility had been dulled by the excessive dust.

She raised her white handkerchief to her nose and turned to Kaelen, still standing at the doorway.

"Aren’t you coming?"

Kaelen sighed in exasperation as he walked past her and towards where he left off mining.

He didn’t need to mine anymore, as he’d submitted enough crystals to cover ten people’s quota for the entire day. But letting her know he’d mined 10,000 crystals in a few minutes would only do more bad than good.

So he took off his shirt and wrapped it around his waist, as the place was extremely hot, before he grabbed his pickaxe and began mining at a moderate speed.

He went at it for a while, intentionally making it seem harder than it actually was for him, to buy time for the woman to leave. But after mining for a while, Kaelen was starting to hear and notice his colleagues whispering amongst themselves as they shot envious glances at him.

Are they jealous that I already mined 10,000 crystals but chose to still stay to show off?

That was what Kaelen thought to himself, until he turned to his left and was stunned to see Black Rose sitting on a nearby boulder with a handkerchief over her nose as she watched him work.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing?" Kaelen blurted in surprise.

He thought she should’ve left, and was only buying time.

The woman didn’t reply as she simply stared at him with an unreadable expression.

"Can’t you see you got people who are starting to talk?" Kaelen asked again.

"Why should I care?" She asked plainly.

Kaelen almost scoffed in disbelief. "Do you want to start another rumour?"

"What rumour are you talking about? The one you went around telling people was real?" She asked him.

Kaelen paused in confusion, before remembering he had indeed lied about his relationship with Black Rose to the front desk lady and threatened her to stamp his mission flyer.

So she wasn’t scared of snitching on me, huh?

"I only told one person."

"And guess how many people that one person told?" Black Rose replied almost immediately.

"At this point, I don’t think you can consider it a rumour anymore." She said as she stood and began walking towards him.

"Might as well give them a show." She stopped before him and raised her handkerchief from her nose to wipe the tiny beads on his face, making Kaelen shudder and causing an uproar amongst the miners.

Then she leaned close to his ear. "Is this what you want?"

"Miss Black Rose?" A man suddenly called from the entrance. Kaelen recognized him from the advance main team.

She only tilted her head enough to see the man.

"We’re advancing to the next floor now." The man informed and quickly left.

She turned back to face Kaelen, before grabbing his palm and stuffing the handkerchief into it. Then she turned and left without a word, leaving Kaelen staring at the piece of blue, delicate fabric in his hand.

As soon as she left the mine, she quickly met up with the advance team and grabbed the items she needed from Cindra. Then the team was briefed about the second floor they’d be venturing into, before they immediately set out into the ruins once more.

They moved cautiously and in silence, even though they’d already cleared all of the first floor. But the moment they arrived at the bronze gate leading to the next level, everyone’s face immediately changed and Black Rose frowned.

Because the gate that was closed when she left with Idris was now partially open, meaning someone had breached it.

The team immediately charged forward, pushing the gate further open as they entered the next room, only for their expressions to turn uglier.

Not only had the room been breached, but whoever did it had left a bloody aftermath of a battle that took place in that room while they were resting.

Black Rose was the most disturbed, as this was the exact reason she’d been with Idris the whole time and could vouch for him that he wasn’t responsible, and hadn’t communicated or led anyone to that gate. She’d personally checked when she caught him at the entrance.

There was also another piece of evidence that didn’t link the battle to him, and that was the carcasses of the slain beasts.

If it was truly Kaelen Cross, he never left a body behind. He consumed them as the slime he was, but seeing as the beasts had all been beaten to death by a blunt weapon—or, to be more accurate—fists, she could rule out the possibility that it was either Idris Thomas or Kaelen Cross.

Who could it possibly be?

At that moment, she looked at her father, to see he had a serious expression on his face, like he’d anticipated something like this happening.

"Everyone, from this moment onwards, we can’t take any more breaks, and you’re to always keep your guards up and watch the backs of your brethren." The Emperor said with a serious expression.

"Do you know who did this?" Black Rose asked immediately.

The Emperor didn’t reply immediately. "There’s only one man capable of pulling this off... So he’s finally made his move." He whispered the last part to himself, but from his tone, Black Rose immediately ruled out the infamous Slime completely.

Who the hell could possibly make the Emperor and Stronghold lords this wary?

***

Meanwhile...

Back at the mine, Kaelen was diligently mining the blue crystals, when he suddenly froze in his movement like he’d sensed something.

His lips slowly curled up.

"Switch!"

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